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How to identify it
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Other aphids | The pea aphid stands out by its light green color and unusually long legs and cornicles, and it is the main aphid found on peas.[1][2] |
Where it lives
Found worldwide wherever peas, alfalfa and clover grow.[2][1]
Biology and life cycle
It overwinters as eggs on alfalfa, vetch and clover, multiplies there in spring, and moves to peas after they come up.[1][2]
Females mature in about 12 days and can each produce up to 150 young.[2]
Damage and signs
Health risk
It feeds only on plants; neither source reports any harm to people or pets.[1][2]
Control
Prevention
Pea varieties differ in how badly pea aphids damage them, so choose less susceptible ones.[1][2]
Biological control
Lady beetles, lacewings, flower fly larvae, predatory midges and braconid wasps reduce aphid numbers, and fungal diseases knock down large populations in warm, humid or wet weather.[1][2]
Pesticides
UConn notes that natural enemies may not give enough control on their own; many products are registered for pea aphids, so pick one labeled for your crop and follow the label.[2]
Common questions
- What are the long-legged green aphids on my peas?
- Light green aphids with unusually long legs on peas, fava beans or lentils are most likely pea aphids.[1][2]
- Can pea aphids spread disease in my garden?
- Yes; they transmit many plant viruses, even to crops they rarely feed on, such as squash and cucumbers.[2]
Sources
- UMass Extension Vegetable Program, “Pea Aphid (Vegetable Program fact sheet).” www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/vegetable/fact-sheets/pea-aphid (accessed 2026-10-17)
- UConn Integrated Pest Management Program, “Pea Aphid: Acyrthosiphon pisum (J. Boucher).” ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/pea-aphid-acyrthosiphon-pisum (accessed 2026-10-17)
- iNaturalist, “Acyrthosiphon pisum taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132882 (accessed 2026-10-06)